1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the treatment of asbestos products installed in buildings; and more particularly, to a method for coalescing and/or encapsulating the asbestos fiber and dust content of textured ceiling materials to a state permanently immune to flotation in air.
2. Description of the Prior Art
it has been established that asbestos fiber is potentially a carcinogenic material when inhaled, and that inhalation of such fiber, at minimum, can cause lung impairment, referred to as asbestosis, an incurable, but nonprogressive serious disease. The inhalation of asbestos fibers typically occurs in facilities wherein disruption of asbestos containing products presents an atmosphere containing airborne fibers having transverse dimensions below about 0.25 mm (0.01 in.), although presently only those fibers less than 3 microns in width having a length greater than 5 microns are considered to be a threat to health.
The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, enacted by Congress in 1986, led to promulgation of plans for safe and efficient ways to (1) remove, (2) encapsulate or (3) safely maintain materials containing asbestos installed in all school buildings. In addition, various local governmental mandates now require asbestos abatement in practically all buildings other than private homes.
The abatement activities that followed the various mandates have focused primarily on the first option. The second and third options are basically related in that effectively encapsulating the asbestos content would also satisfy the third option.
Although by far the most expensive approach, the removal option has been chosen for two reasons. One is technical and the other is psychological. Structural building components containing asbestos fiber have heretofore not been susceptible to penetration with a binder to a depth sufficient to coalesce or encapsulate the fiber and dust therein. The problem of penetration is particularly troublesome with asbestos fiber containing ceiling materials, which are relatively dense. Another problem is the inherent filtering property of asbestos. Prior to being banned in the U.S., asbestos was used in industrial processes, such as wine making and gasoline refining, as a filtering medium. In addition, since asbestos has not been legally permitted in domestic ceiling installation for at least twenty years, many ceilings containing asbestos fiber have been painted one or more times with a flat vinyl paint. This treatment provides the ceiling with a barrier which operates to prevent penetration thereof with a binder.
The psychological reason for selecting the removal option is readily apparent. Owners or occupants of buildings in which structural components contain asbestos fiber want those components removed from the premises to avoid the risk of potential liability or actual health problems caused by insufficient treatment or fire.
Whether mandated by law or determined to be financially justified to upgrade the property value for resale, refinance, or rental purposes the costly removal program is the predominant course pursued. One factor contributing to the high asbestos removal cost are the regulations promulgated by federal and state environmental protection agencies. These regulations require a procedure wherein the premises are sealed up, after which operators in "space suits" remove the texture from a ceiling substrate while wetting with water. Upon removal, the material is packaged and then hauled to a certified disposal dump for toxic materials, sometimes located hundreds of miles away. Inasmuch as the wetting of the texture with water serves only to facilitate its separation from the substrate, the protection provided by this procedure against the presence of airborne asbestos fiber is inadequate. Rather, airborne asbestos fiber is often times extant during the removal process owing to the formation of pockets of dry material in the texture. In addition, health risks involved in removing asbestos containing materials by this method are substantial, with the result that expensive liability insurance is either required or desired on most jobs.